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A little background...I'm a 30 year old femal, 5'10" and 130lb, I am an avid runner, triathlete, and fitness junkie. I eat healthy most of the time (w/ a little splurge here and there) and exercise often. The only thing I can think of that could give me a high BP is stress...

I'm trying to figure out if my ADD-related anxiety (and response to stress) is contributing to this new BP problem! I recently went to the doc for pain in my chest when breathing deeply (and it radiated out to my shoulders, up the back of my neck into my head). It was miserable the first day, bearable the 2nd day when I saw the doc. My blood pressure was fairly high...I think he said something like 153/86. The doc didn't really address that much, just sent me for a chest xray. I found it odd that he glazed over the BP when the nurse who took my BP made a point of telling me it was high.

My stress at work has been a bit abnormal and more consistent lately than in a while. Can stress alone make that much of a difference in BP levels? Has anybody else had issues like this? Other than continuing to eat healthy and exercise, what can be done?

I am not to the point of needing medication, I just wonder if this is something I should worry about...

I'm trying to figure out if my ADD-related anxiety (and response to stress) is contributing to this new BP problem! I recently went to the doc for pain in my chest when breathing deeply (and it radiated out to my shoulders, up the back of my neck into my head). It was miserable the first day, bearable the 2nd day when I saw the doc. My blood pressure was fairly high...I think he said something like 153/86. The doc didn't really address that much, just sent me for a chest xray. I found it odd that he glazed over the BP when the nurse who took my BP made a point of telling me it was high.

My stress at work has been a bit abnormal and more consistent lately than in a while. Can stress alone make that much of a difference in BP levels? Has anybody else had issues like this? Other than continuing to eat healthy and exercise, what can be done?

I am not to the point of needing medication, I just wonder if this is something I should worry about...

In my case I have notice a 40-50 point increase in BP from anxiety. In some cases I don't even recognize that something is causing me stress and until I notice the increase in BP and then look at what is going on in my life at the time. It was miserable the first day, bearable the 2nd day when I saw the doc.

Pain, itself, is a stress that can raise BP. And if you where at all concerned about what the problem might be that additional stress.

Anything over 140/90 is high enough to treat. If it is a true BP.

So if this was only an isolated incident due to the chest pain then no problem.

But if your are reacting to long term stress and have consistently elevated BP then you need to treat it. If possibly be learning relaxation methods.

In my case I have notice a 40-50 point increase in BP from anxiety. In some cases I don't even recognize that something is causing me stress and until I notice the increase in BP and then look at what is going on in my life at the time. It was miserable the first day, bearable the 2nd day when I saw the doc.

Pain, itself, is a stress that can raise BP. And if you where at all concerned about what the problem might be that additional stress.

Anything over 140/90 is high enough to treat. If it is a true BP.

So if this was only an isolated incident due to the chest pain then no problem.

But if your are reacting to long term stress and have consistently elevated BP then you need to treat it. If possibly be learning relaxation methods.

Update: 2 days later I measured my BP (granted, this time was at a pharmacy, so probably less accurate), and it was a shockingly high 155/105.

I realize that I'm stressed at work, and there's very little I can do about that at the moment. I am a runner, but I haven't run much in the past couple of weeks (recovery weeks from a race). I am now watching my sodium intake b/c when not running as much, I sweat less, thus requiring less sodium to replenish what I've lost. I am also gonna get back into distance running this weekend.

Other that running more, making myself relax, and watching sodium, I'm not sure what I can do... don't want to take any meds b/c I am already on anxiety stuff. I figure, worst case scenario, I up the dosage of the anxiety meds before going to BP meds.

I realize that I'm stressed at work, and there's very little I can do about that at the moment. I am a runner, but I haven't run much in the past couple of weeks (recovery weeks from a race). I am now watching my sodium intake b/c when not running as much, I sweat less, thus requiring less sodium to replenish what I've lost. I am also gonna get back into distance running this weekend.

Other that running more, making myself relax, and watching sodium, I'm not sure what I can do... don't want to take any meds b/c I am already on anxiety stuff. I figure, worst case scenario, I up the dosage of the anxiety meds before going to BP meds.

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